The ratsnest has three of these single level rabbit cages.

At the moment, one is occupied by Paddy and one by Garretty the guinea pig.

It is a Ferplast Rabbit 100, dimensions 95cm wide x 50 cm deep x 40cm high (37 x 20 x 16 inches). Being single level, it makes good accommodation for elderly rats who are no longer very steady on their feet. This one has a nice low shelf with sleeping accomodation underneath, and it is very easy to get access to all parts of the cage. The rats have hammocks and igloos in theirs, and Garretty has a nice wooden hut like the one pictured below in the rat playpen.

This is a FOP Cavia Hotel, dimensions 102cm wide x 55cm deep x 82cm high (41 x 22 x 33 inches). It's a great cage for the big boys, but the 1 inch spacing of the bars makes it unsuitable for very young or very skinny rats.

The main disadvantage to this cage is its weight. It's quite heavy to haul around at cleaning time.

It is currently unoccupied.
This cage is presently empty while the shelves are being renovated.It is a Ferplast Mito indoor aviary, dimensions 100cm wide x 54cm deep x 169cm high (40 x 22 x 60 inches). It was designed as a bird cage, of course, so the perches were taken out and the wooden shelves and ramps added. Considering its size, it isn't difficult to clean - the base slides out and the shelves are easily removed for scrubbing. This cage is also suitable for young, skinny rats, as the bars are only half an inch apart.

This is the most recent addition to the cage collection. It is a Ferplast Furet Plus and I got it to replace my Ferplast Jenny cage. I was disappointed with the Jenny. Despite not having that much use the bars corroded and rusted horribly and they seemed to smell perpetually of rat urine however much I cleaned it. And the small and awkwardly placed front door was driving me mad! This cage seems much more robust and the doors are big and well placed. I did add an extra shelf and ramp, though.

Patience, Joy and Harley currently live in here.

I have a couple of these cages. They are basic but useful and a reasonable size although I like my rats to have more space than this, to be honest. They are however, considerably bigger than some of the cages sold as rat cages. They are supposed to be chinchilla cages, I believe. I've had them for years. The bars are too wide for babies or small females and on my other cage like this I have covered the outside with wire mesh to allow it to be used for babies if necessary.

Max is presently living here temporarily since I had to separate him and Paddy.

The Rat Playpen

The ratsnest rats used to have free range of the entire living room during playtime, but various episodes of destruction coupled with plans to redecorate the room demanded some kind of confinement. Enter the rat playpen, made from rolls of semi-rigid pvc held together with velcro straps. It is around 8ft across and 2ft high. Great for supervised play and rolls up easily.

An Alternative

I recently had some e-mail correspondence with Jane Houghton, who made a similar playpen using sheets of corregated plastic from Wickes, held together with velcro straps. Much less expensive than the pvc, and apparently very sturdy and effective. Well worth a try!